Tag: homeless

10 Homeless Care Package Ideas for Summer

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What to Give the Homeless in the Summer: 10 Homeless Outreach Ideas

Any season is a good season to donate time and resources for the local homeless community. Many people and organizations focus their homeless outreach efforts during the fall and winter, as the colder weather makes needs more apparent. However, providing support is just as important in the summer — especially since this is the time of year when the homeless are most likely to be overlooked.
If you’re making a summer care kit for the homeless in your area, DollarDays has some tips on what to include. The items below are some of the most needed and requested by homeless shelters and programs. Many of them are also excellent donations to soup kitchens, women’s shelters and church groups. Whether you’re donating to the local shelter, putting together a Good Samaritan blessing bag at Sunday school or organizing a private donation drive, these suggestions will make your homeless care package even more appreciated.

Bottled Water & Beverages

The need for clean water is ever-present in the homeless community. When the hot summer sun is beating down, that need is even more important. Including bottled water will help quench their thirst on the most grueling days. Other beverage and drink mixes such as instant milk, Gatorade packets and lemonade mixes can provide added nutrition or just add some flavor for the kids.

Reusable Water Bottles

Displaced people are constantly on the move, and they need to be able to bring their water. A reusable drink bottle allows them to bring beverages to more places and is also more durable than a store-bought plastic water bottle. Furthermore, whenever they have access to a water source such as a spigot or hose, a large water bottle allows them to fill up and have some water for later.

Non-Perishable Snacks

Owning easy-to-eat healthy food snacks is essential for those who don’t know when their next full meal might be. Some great options that have needed nutrients don’t require refrigeration include cereal, meat snacks (beef jerky, beef sticks, etc.), granola bars and nuts. Kids will love crackers, fruit snacks and other goodies. These snacks usually come in single-serving packets, which reduce the chances of them going back and make them easier for homeless shelters to pass out.

Paper Plates & Utensils

Everyone needs a clean surface to eat their food. The homeless usually don’t have a place to wash traditional glass or ceramic dishes — and these things have a higher risk of getting broken. Therefore, single-use tableware is much-needed. Paper plates, paper cups, plastic silverware, napkins and other disposable dinnerware makes it easier to serve meals.

Skin Care Products

The summer weather doesn’t just make people thirsty. It also can be brutal on the skin. Sunscreen will help prevent burns for those who don’t have access to shade. Meanwhile, some bug spray is great to prevent getting gobbled up by flies and mosquitoes. Those who already have burns and bites will appreciate aloe vera relief gels, calamine lotion and other treatments.

Personal Hygiene Products

If a down-and-out person is able to land a job interview, or if they’re a young kid attending school, looking presentable is a big deal. Products such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, bar soap, shaving supplies and deodorants help them take care of their personal appearance. You might even consider a complete men’s or women’s hygiene and dental kit with all the personal care basics. Travel-size hygiene products are excellent for those who may only have a small bag for carrying everything.

Footwear

The biggest thing some homeless people need is a good pair of shoes. Owning decent footwear will protect their feet from hot pavement, rain and debris such as rocks or broken glass. Something as simple as a pair of flip-flops or slip-on shoes can be a game-changer for someone who spends most of their time outside.

Hats & Headwear

A good hat serves two purposes in a Good Samaritan supply bag. For starters, it helps keep the hot sun out of their eyes and face. Hats also help keep hair organized for those who rarely, if ever, can afford to get it cut or styled. Practical options include baseball caps, sun hats, bucket hats, plastic visors and bandanas.

Umbrellas & Rain Gear

The humid weather of summer often leads to heavy rainstorms. Affordable rain gear for the homeless will help keep them dry and prevent their possessions from getting ruined. Umbrellas, rain ponchos and rubber rain boots are a godsend for many people. An umbrella can also protect them from the sun when it comes back out.

Toys & Activities

People of all ages can use a fun way to pass the time. Small kid’s toys such as stuffed animals, coloring books, cars, jump ropes, balls and modeling clays provide hours of fun. Educational toys continue children’s development so they don’t fall behind at school. Adults like activities, too, and they’ll enjoy a good deck of playing cards, puzzle book, dice set or chess board.
DollarDays is proud to partner with nonprofits, schools and other organizations that strive to make a difference through summer homeless outreach. Give our team a call to learn how we can help make your homeless care package ideas a reality.

Call our Team Today! (888) 969-6301.

Lucky & Unlucky Pets

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Pets can be expensive. The Tibetan Mastiff […] has an average purchase price of $3,000, while the Portuguese water dog costs $2,500, and the Black Russian Terrier goes for $2,000. This, combined with the yearly cost of ownership—up to $1,843 on average for dogs and $1,035 for cats, according to the ASPCA—indicates most pet owners are truly dedicated to their animal’s survival and happiness.

[Approximately] 79.7 million [U.S.] households own a pet, [or] 65% of [all] homes. [More than 40%] own more than one pet; [t]here are 77.8 million dogs [nationwide] and 85.8 million cats, according to the Humane Society. [Roughly] 34% of dogs are purchased from a breeder, 4% from pet stores, 37% are adopted from shelters, 6% are taken in as strays, and 20% come from friends or relatives. Only 3% of cats come from breeders, 2% from pet stores, 45% […] from shelters, 25% […] taken in as strays, and 25% come from friends or relatives.

What happens to homeless animals? There are 13,600 community animal shelters across the United States. [Around] 7.3 million animals enter these shelters each year (3.9 million dogs and 3.4 million cats); 3 million of these animals are euthanized [annually], and 4.3 million are adopted [out] or returned to their owners. With so many animals needing our love, why are we paying the big bucks for these breeds when we can adopt an animal that is going to be euthanized?

We have all read about the medical reasons to have a pet. WebMD tells us that pets are natural mood enhancers; only a few minutes with a dog [or] cat, or [time spent] watching fish swim, makes us feel less anxious. […] Petting and playing with an animal increases levels of serotonin and dopamine […], and these transmitters help reduce not only depression, but stress, [as well]. [Additionally], researchers have found that when children grow up in a home with a dog or cat, they are 33% less likely to develop allergies, and the same is true for kids who live on a farm with large animals.

So maybe pets are the miracle drug we have all been waiting for!

We know about the medical reasons for a pet, but what about the psychological advantages? The American Psychological Association [recently] published a study done at Miami University of Ohio and St. Louis University [in which researchers] concluded people with pets were closer to other important people in their lives and received more support from these people, not less.

[In other words], pets complement other forms of social support, […] indicating no evidence that relationships with pets came at the expense of relationships with other people. Also, owning a pet can teach children valuable life lessons; [k]ids with dogs have a higher level of empathy and self-esteem, and learning to take care of an animal teaches the value of routine and good habits. Being outside in a public setting with your animal increases social interaction, because pets are great icebreakers and can help ease people out of social isolation and shyness.

September is full of days honoring pets—National Pet Memorial Day and National Hug-Your-Hound Day are [both on the 11th this year, and] Puppy Mill Awareness Day and Responsible Dog Ownership Day both fall on [the 17th]—[b]ut there is no celebration for the 3 million animals America euthanizes each year. It falls back on all of us to have the heart to help defenseless animals that can’t speak for themselves. For anyone who has ever looked into the eyes of their pet and felt that unconditional love looking back, we cannot continue letting animal shelters go underfunded and undermanned.

All of us need to reach deep into our pockets to help these shelters find homes for these innocent animals, and, if we don’t have the dollars to help, we should be volunteering to feed, walk, bathe and play with these ignored animals at the shelters. Donate or volunteer at the American Humane Association, the ASPCA, the Humane Society or the Best Friends Animal Society, where you can help save animals who are the victims of animal cruelty or natural disasters. […]

Taxpayers pay $2 billion annually to round up, house and dispose of homeless animals. Many of us go out and spend thousands of dollars to buy an expensive animal, while millions of others are being put to sleep because no one has stepped up to give them a home. Those of us with pets know they provide therapeutic benefits for many of life’s invisible scars. Our pets help us socially and emotionally. The unconditional love pets give us transcends work issues, family conflicts and death. Animals don’t care about the color of your skin, whether you can read or not, or if you are missing a limb.

So not only during […] Responsible Dog Ownership Day [should] we honor our best friends, but we should also be taking this time to help those animals less fortunate than the ones in our own home. Helping […] animals in need is the core of our decency. Donate to animal shelters and organizations to help care for these innocent animals. Volunteer at your local shelter to help the animals cope with being alone. No one wants to be alone, and your simple act of kindness can go a long way for animals that have no one to care for them.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/lucky-and-unlucky-pets_b_11818070.html

Give Me Shelter

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Homelessness is not a modern phenomenon. The first cases of the homeless in America date back to the 1640s, according to Street News Service. Wars fought between the settlers and Native Americans displaced people on both sides. Back then, people would show up to a town and make a case for why they should be allowed to settle there. In most New England towns, the newcomers would sit before the town fathers and explain how they would pull their weight and not be a drain on everybody else. The people who were denied and told to move on were Catholics, people with physical disabilities, mental disabilities, alcoholics, widows, orphans and the elderly. We ended up with a transient class moving from town to town, so this new world did not offer opportunity for everyone.

When the Industrial Revolution was starting in the 1820s, people were moving from farms into cities, creating a poor urban underclass. [This] led to our first anti-panhandling ordinances, and our jails soon became our shelter system. [I]n 1830, Congress passed [the “Indian Removal Act,”] the first federal policy that caused massive homelessness; [this act] uprooted Native American tribes in the southeast and moved them to Oklahoma. [Workplace injuries during the] Industrial Revolution, [disabilities caused by] the Civil War, [and, then, large-scale displacement as a result of] disasters like the Chicago fire in 1871, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the massive 1927 Mississippi River flood […] created more homelessness. Then the Great Depression hit in 1929, and massive numbers of homeless people hit the streets like America had never seen before or since.

The same issues that caused homelessness 300 to 400 years ago are still haunting us today. Tragic life occurrences like the loss of loved ones, job loss, domestic violence, divorce, family disputes, depression, untreated mental illness, natural disasters, war, post-traumatic stress disorder and physical disabilities are responsible for a large portion of the homeless. In this land of plenty and this land of opportunity, over 600,000 Americans experience homelessness on any given night, with 138,000 being under the age of 18. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the [U.S.] rate of homeless persons is 18.3 per 10,000 people, ranging from 120 in Washington, D.C., to seven in Mississippi. Veterans are at 25.5 per 10,000, with the high again in Washington, D.C., [at] 146 and the low in Virginia, at nine.

[W]e, as a society, need to focus on the homeless children in our communities. Homeless children, as defined by the federal “No Child Left Behind” program, include not just those living in shelters or transitional housing, but also those sharing the housing of other persons due to economic hardships; [those] living in cars, parks, [or] bus or train stations; [and those] awaiting foster care placement. According to NBC News, the National Center for Homeless Education reported local school districts have 2.5 million homeless children […] in public schools, [or] one in 30. […] Of [this total], 76,000 homeless students are living on their own and […] exchange sex for food, clothing, shelter and other basic needs, [and] 75% percent of [these adolescents] have either dropped out or will drop out of school. […]

America has not been able to solve the homeless problem for close to 400 years. What would make us think we can solve it now?

Throughout our history, we have learned that homelessness cannot be solved by the government alone, especially in times of government gridlock and lack of funds. This is a major issue that affects all of us, and, at this time of year, it involves the classmates of our kids. This is truly a local issue causing hardships on our […] schools.

There are many ways the average citizen can help out, either by volunteering their time or donating their money. The Covenant House opens up its doors to help homeless youth in 27 cities. Safe Horizons helps out children and families. Stand up for Kids helps get our children off the streets, and Move for Hunger helps feed them. […]

We all suffer when we allow our neighbors to go homeless, even for just one night. Our society suffers when we deny any of our children a good night’s sleep and a nourishing meal. With the limitless potential that many homeless youth have to make a lasting positive contribution to our communities, whether it is in science, humanities or sports, we cheat not only them but ourselves by not allocating dollars, either in taxes we collect or the disposable income we can spare. Every child should have a shot at attaining our American dream. This is not a political or religious issue; it is a moral issue that our entire society must embrace. With a little help from all of us, these 600,000 Americans can find shelter for another night.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/give-me-shelter_b_11297282.html

Who is Helping the Kids Left Behind?

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America now has 1,571,056 tax-exempt organizations, of which 1,097,689 are public charities, according to Urban Institute. [A]nother 105,030 […] are private foundations, and 368,337 are […] chambers of commerce, fraternal organizations and civic leagues.

Nonprofits accounted for 9.2% of all wages and salaries [last year], 5.3% of U.S. GDP [and reported] $1.74 trillion in revenues. [Approximately] 25.3% of Americans over the age of 16 volunteered for a nonprofit organization [in 2015], [and our nation’s total] volunteer time translates to 8.7 billion hours, which has a value of $179.2 billion.

All of these are big numbers, [s]o why do we still have so many Americans struggling to get by each day? […]

In New York City, there are 23,000 children between the ages of six and 13 [who] live in the city’s homeless […] shelter system. As we all know, homelessness places profound stress on a child’s life. [One] nonprofit, Homes for the Homeless, […] provide[s] a 16-day summer camp at […] Harriman State Park, […] 30 miles outside of NYC, for […] inner-city kids, [many of whom] have never left [the city, let alone] experienced nature up close. It gives these homeless children a chance to escape the stresses of everyday life and engage in healthy activities. What if every town had a program like this?

[In] Cleveland, [which] has a 58.5% poverty rate for children (compared to the national average of 21.1%), [t]he Footpath Foundation was founded by two mothers to help underprivileged and at-risk children by connecting them with positive life experiences. Like [in] NYC, these Cleveland kids are sent to local camps that temporarily help them let go of the pressures of life and begin to feel safe and at peace. […]

When schools close, millions of youths are cut off from access to education and nutritional support systems. This leads to [a] “slide,” [with] students [losing] educational achievements made during the previous year. In 2015, 46% of [students] who applied for summer jobs were turned down, so helping out our youth this summer is crucial.

[The White House has taken notice, and they’ve stepped in with several new initiatives.] The Department of Education [has issued] a grant […] to open five new achievement centers [to house] mentoring program[s] for underserved middle-school students [in Baltimore, Md.; Washington, D.C.; Pittsburgh, Penn.; and Richmond, Va.] The Corporation for National and Community Service [has] committed $15 million to launch Summer Opportunity AmeriCorps, which uses service-learning projects [to enable] 20,000 youth to gain new skills and earn money for college. The Department of Labor, [meanwhile], launched a $20 million grant competition [that provided] young people [in 10 communities] summer and year-round jobs connecting them to career pathways.

Cities are [also] stepping up to help. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a [plan] to hire 15,000 young people in 2016 through his Hire LA Youth program. This program targets youth from low-income families, families on public assistance, foster youth, youth on probation and homeless youth. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray committed to reach out to 15,000 youth in his community with summer jobs and enrichment. The city will also serve 5,000 children over 200,000 meals and invest in 23 summer learning programs. In Charlotte, Mayor Jennifer Roberts, in a partnership with the Microsoft Charlotte Campus, is holding high-tech camps for 4,000 underprivileged kids. What is your city doing?

[At the national level, Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest and largest youth mentoring organization, serving hundreds of thousands of six- to 18-year-old kids. The Boys & Girls Club serves four million young people in 4,100 clubs throughout the country. […] The Children’s Defense Fund was formed to leave no child behind and works [to give] every child […] a healthy start [in life]. Southwest Key is [another] national nonprofit organization that is committed to keeping kids out of institutions and home with their families in their communities. […]

As much as our government and our cities are reaching out to pull the less-fortunate kids up, they are only affecting a small portion of those who need our help. We […] have a vibrant nonprofit system in place to begin to help those children in the most need, [b]ut these nonprofits need our help both financially and as volunteers. Giving is as good for your own soul as it is for the people you help. If you don’t have the cash, do what 25% of Americans do: volunteer to help a nonprofit that helps our youth. Giving your time or giving your hard-earned dollars [has] a rippling effect in our society; [a] single act of kindness can change several lives while helping to reduce the daunting statistics that [are] poverty and lost opportunity in this country.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/who-is-helping-the-kids-l_b_10818040.html

The Poor Are Getting Poorer

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Today, 83% of people living in poverty are either children, elderly, [disabled], students, [caretakers] or [the unemployed], according to The Washington Post. There are six million families with children living in poverty right here in the United States, [considered the] wealthiest nation in history, which means one in five families are living in poverty. For the U.S.A. to ensure no children grow up in poverty-stricken households, it would cost us $57 billion a year, or $578 [annually for families not living in poverty].

So are [we] all going to pitch in to make this happen? […]

[O]n Jan. 8, 1964, President Johnson declared “an unconditional war on poverty in America.” […] He pledged better schools, better health, better homes, better training and better job opportunities, [as well as] more libraries, public transportation and food relief for the poor. […] The Food Stamp Act was passed in 1964, and the Child Nutrition Act came in 1966. Both Medicare and Medicaid were launched in 1965. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) became a cabinet department in 1965, and the HUD Act of 1965 expanded funding for existing federal housing programs, added rent subsidies for the elderly and disabled, gave housing rehabilitation grants to poor homeowners, had provisions for veterans to make low down payments to obtain mortgages, and set money aside to have community centers constructed in low-income areas. […]

Our poverty level […] in 1964 was one in five families; [o]ur poverty level today [remains] one in five families. The Heritage Foundation reports that since 1964, U.S. taxpayers have spent over $22 trillion on antipoverty programs, [or] three times the cost of all U.S. military wars since the American Revolution. Are we just spinning our wheels?

Nationally, all of these numbers are very scary, [b]ut if you look at it locally, it is even worse. In my own state of Arizona, The Arizona Daily Star reported in April that Tucson’s poorest residents are about to get poorer. Five thousand residences were just notified that the state is taking them off the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and several hundred are losing their Temporary Assistance to Needy Families benefits. [T]he Tucson City Council is [also] voting on reducing funds sent to the Community Food Bank and the Primavera Foundation, which provides pathways out of poverty through safe and affordable housing. […] Primavera reports that over the last couple of years, with their current funding, they could only service 42% of the 3,600 families that needed shelter, and half of those had children. How many more families will now have to suffer because of the city council vote?

It is a given that [the] government is under pressure to curtail their spending, so ordinary citizens and nonprofit organizations need to step in to fill the void, as our poor are getting poorer. Luckily, there are several nonprofits[…] where we can turn […] with our donations and also volunteer to help. The Children’s Defense Fund is a strong and effective independent voice for all children. The Salvation Army […] feeds, clothes and comforts those in the most need. The Gospel Rescue Missions provide social services to help the less fortunate with 300 missions serving 50 million meals and providing 20 million nights of lodging. […]

The numbers of those in need in America are staggering. Our government has no more money to allocate to additional programs. It hurts all of us when our neighbors go hungry or can’t find a place to sleep. Our total society suffers when we deny children a good night’s sleep and a nourishing meal, because they are the future of America. This is not a political or religious issue; it is a moral issue that we all need to embrace.

Original article here: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/the-poor-are-getting-poor_b_9830104.html

Surviving a Broken World

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We just went through the season of celebration, but, really, is there anything to celebrate? There are hundreds of thousands of refugees crossing the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, fleeing war, persecution and violence in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and many other countries. The indiscriminate terrorist attacks killing 130 people in Paris were so senseless, as was the loss of 224 lives in the Russian plane crash in Egypt. [W]e continue to have mass killings in our own country; [i]n the three years since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, [which claimed] 27 people, [including] 20 […] children, another 340 Americans have died in mass shooting incidents. Any of us with young kids or grandchildren have trouble explaining why our modern day world is so violent and unhappy.

This constant bad news has got to be taking a toll on our younger generation, who has instant access to information with their daily exposure to the Internet and smartphones. Add to this the [number of] kids who live in poverty, and you have to question whether the upcoming generations are going to be better off than their parents. According to USA Today, 22% of children in the United States live below the poverty line, which is a higher percentage than during the Great Recession; [by contrast], in 2008, 18% of kids were in poverty. [I]n this great country of ours, poverty is highly unequal, with 39% of African-American children, 37% of [Native American] children and 33% of Hispanics living in poverty. The U.S. Department of Human and Health Services’ official poverty line is [an income of] $23,624 [annually] for a family with two adults and two children.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation found 18.7 million [U.S.] kids, or one in four, live in low-income households, which are defined as families using more than 30% of their pre-tax income for housing. [C]hildren raised in low-income households may get insufficient food and nutrients, which can negatively impact physical development. When children go to school hungry, they are [also] unable to focus [on] learning, [while] inadequate housing can expose children to toxins or other health hazards.

For any parent, juggling work, child care and transportation is challenging. Add in the stress of struggling to pay the bills, [and] parents battling with low income[s] have a higher risk of depression, substance abuse and domestic violence, which can affect a child’s social and emotional development. On top of this, 54% of our kids do not attend preschool, 66% of our fourth graders are not proficient in reading, and 66% of our eighth graders are not proficient in math. By ignoring the needs of these 18.7 million kids, we have a formula for the next generation to fail.

This failure for our society to improve itself has already begun. Bloomberg Business just reported that our middle class—[defined as a] family of three [that] has a minimum income of $41,869—has lost their majority status in the United States [for] the first time since 1970. Over 120.8 million adult Americans live in middle-class households, [including] 51 million [considered higher]-income and 70.3 million […] lower-[income]. The middle class holds 43% of U.S. aggregate income, which also is the smallest share since 1970. Generations have grown up with the goal of becoming middle-class. What do we tell our newest generation?

We need to worry about our kids, [a]nd we need to help them deal with the world around them. […] Each of us can’t teach 18.7 million kids, so we must rely on caring organizations to work with those who need the most help. There are great organizations we can contribute to like Save the Children and the Children’s Defense Fund, [both of which] help these less-fortunate kids. Communities in Schools help students while in school, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America help create a safe place to learn and grow. […]

Children should be growing up [and] worrying [only] about playing and exercising and eating the right foods so they can become stronger and smarter. Our over-connected technology world, though, throws a wrench into the traditional way Americans have raised their kids for generations. Many times, our children know before we [do] about the tragedies afflicting this world because of their instant connection[s] to computers and cellphones. We can’t protect them from this anymore. We also can’t rely on our government to do it alone, because it is such a huge task that is getting worse as each new year unfolds.

We all make personal New Year’s resolutions, like “exercise more,” “lose weight,” and “spend more time with family and friends.” As a country, our resolution for this year needs to be “help all of our children.” Our children are our hope to change this broken world.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/surviving-a-broken-world_b_8811312.html

Shouldn’t We Be Helping Those at Home First?

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The United States spends $30 billion a year on official development assistance overseas, according to Oxfam America. […] We have foreign aid [to protect] our national security with [the] hopes it will reduce [the] poverty and injustice that fuel social tensions and [destabilize] countries. It also helps with our own economic interests, because aid can support the generation of demand for U.S. goods, which builds stable trading partners. [Additionally], based on the morality of our country, [providing aid is] “the right thing to do,” because it may help advance human rights and, in turn, democracy. Anyone picking up a newspaper over the last couple of months has […] to question if our aid has made countries more stable, brought democracy to the rest of the world or created a larger demand for U.S.-made goods.

Last year, we spent $14.4 billion to support Title 1, [otherwise known as] the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), [which] provides resources to schools situated in low-income communities. […] This is down from the previous year […] because of the government cut in funds due to our ongoing “sequestration.” Childhood poverty in the United States stands at 21.1%, [or the equivalent of 15.5 million children]—more than one in five. […] The National Education Association says that to reach all eligible children in poverty, Title 1 needs $45 billion. What a coincidence that Title 1 is $30 billion short of helping our kids at home—the same amount of dollars we are shipping overseas.

Title 1 support is so important to the future of America and what makes a school successful. According to Newsweek and the research done by Harvard professor Roland Fryer, Jr., strictly controlled environments foster success in students. Five principles are reflected in successful schools: frequent teacher feedback, the use of data to guide classroom instruction, frequent and high-quality tutoring, extended school days and years, and a school culture of high expectations. Title 1’s funding goal is “to ensure that all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on state academic achievement standards.” [Effectively], Title 1 funds are to be used to improve curriculum, instructional activities, counseling [and] parental involvement, [as well as] increase staff and program improvement.

No kid in America should go hungry, and our government does have a federally subsidized school lunch program. According to NewAmerica.org, this program supports student nutrition in over 101,000 schools and provide[s] free and reduced-price […] meals to low-income children before school, during school, after school and over the summer. […]

In September, the Children’s Defense Fund released the latest data about poverty, stating there are 46.7 million poor people in America, [33% of which] are children, [making them] the poorest age group. […] Children of color […] are disproportionately poor; […] 37% of black children and 32% of Hispanic children [fall into this category], [compared to] 12% of [Caucasian] kids. The younger the children, the poorer they are, with 25% of kids under age five considered poor—and these are the [strongest] years [for] brain development.

We have to be realistic. The government only has so much money to spend to continue to operate. Our legislatures scared us in September by averting a government shutdown and approved temporary spending measures to keep federal agencies operating through December 11. Much like we have trouble balancing our checkbooks and prioritizing where we spend our own money, our government is having that problem on a massive scale and continues to kick the can down the road. […] So until our leaders get their acts together, it falls back on individuals to help the poor, the hungry and the disadvantaged in this country.

Luckily, there are several nonprofits […] we can turn to with our donations and volunteer[ing efforts]. The Children’s Defense Fund is a strong and effective independent voice for all children in America. The Salvation Army, in their mission for “doing the most good,” feed, clothe and comfort those in the most need. The Gospel Rescue Missions provide social services to help the less fortunate. […]

The numbers of those in need in America are staggering. Our government has no more money to allocate to additional programs, so it must move its dollars around rather than hoping to collect more taxes. This country needs to look to help itself first. What would happen if we took all of this foreign aid and poured it into lifting [up] our own struggling citizens?

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/shouldnt-we-be-helping-th_b_8401336.html

Cold & Forgotten: How We Can Help the Homeless

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As we begin to enter […] fall, [charitable] organizations like churches, the Salvation Army, the United Way and the American Red Cross are beginning [to finalize] their plans to help the homeless in their communities [through the winter]. This is a tradition that Americans have repeated for decades.

Most cities and government agencies are making a real effort to help the homeless, but they can’t keep up with the demand. Ironically, many cities have passed laws banning sleeping in parks and other public places, [s]o when a town does not have enough beds for the homeless, where can they sleep?

Boise, Idaho, [officials] created such a ban on sleeping in public places. A case was brought against the city by homeless plaintiffs who were convicted under the Boise ordinances that criminalize sleeping or camping in public. According to The Idaho Statesman, the U.S. Department of Justice jumped into the suit and sided with the plaintiffs by arguing that criminalizing public sleeping where there is insufficient shelter space unconstitutionally punishes them for being homeless. The government cites the Eighth Amendment, which disallows cruel and unusual punishments to our citizens. In its filing, the Justice Department said, “[E]nforcing these ordinances is poor public policy, because pushing homeless individuals into the criminal justice system does nothing to break the cycle of poverty or prevent homelessness in the future.”

Boise is not alone. […] When there are 578,424 homeless people on any given night this year (401,501 in shelters and 177,373 sleep unsheltered), of which 49,933 are veterans, cities simply can’t keep up. For veterans, stepping back onto American soil isn’t the end of the battle—it’s the beginning of another battle for stability in housing, finances, health and support systems that too easily ends in homelessness. In June, the Department of Veterans Affairs launched the Homeless Veteran Community Employment Services program, which aims to help veterans exiting homelessness and those on the brink of homelessness gain stability and long-term employment. Let’s hope it takes off quickly.

We know that homelessness cannot be solved by the government alone; [t]his is a major problem that affects all of our communities. There are many ways the average citizen can help, [whether] by donating or volunteering. The Covenant House opens up its doors to help homeless youth. Stand up for Kids helps homeless street kids. Support Homeless Veterans works to get these forgotten heroes off the streets. […]

With the limitless potential that the homeless have to make a lasting positive contribution to our communities, we cheat not only them but ourselves by not allocating dollars, either in the taxes we collect or the disposable income we can spare, to helping them. If we ever found ourselves in that situation, wouldn’t we want someone to do the same for us? Together, we can work to get the homeless back on their feet.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/cold-and-forgotten-how-we_b_8050064.html

Death of Honor

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This month is full of celebrations honoring our military. May 1 is Loyalty Day, which started in the 1920s to counter the rise of communism. […] May 8 is V-E Day (Victory-in-Europe Day), which commemorates the end of fighting in Europe during World War II. Military Spouse Day is also on May 8 this year, and it celebrates the silent heroes of our military. Armed Forces Day, created to honor all branches of the service, is on May 16. Lastly, Memorial Day is on May 25, and it’s dedicated to the military men and women who gave their lives for our country.

According to the National World War II Museum, […] World War II was the deadliest military conflict in history, [with 15 million battlefield deaths]. Add to this the 45 million civilian deaths and 60 million people who were lost in this war, and you have the current combined population of California and New York.

In World War I, according to PBS, there were 10 million battlefield deaths and 7 million civilian deaths. In this war, the U.S. mobilized 4.3 million people and lost 126,000. The last surviving American veteran of World War I, Frank Buckles, died at the age of 110 on Feb. 27, 2011.

According to the National Archives, 9 million military personnel served during the Vietnam War, and we lost 58,156 Americans. More recently, 650,000 served in the Gulf War from August 1990 to July 1991. Since 2001, between the [wars in] Afghanistan and Iraq, over 2.5 million Americans were deployed, and 6,800 […] died.

Currently, according to The Washington Post, there are 22 million veterans in the United States. Out of these, 92% have at least a high school diploma, and 26% have a bachelor’s degree. Veterans own 9% of all U.S. businesses and employ 5.8 million people.

In theory, Americans have not forgotten about these brave heroes. Since last year, the government has been working on cleaning up the Veterans Affairs’ (VA) hospitals that veterans depend on for help. The VA is working on helping homeless veterans, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, [with the number of veterans spending their nights on the street falling from] 57,849 [one year ago] to 49,933 [today]. [Still], the underlying causes of homelessness—shortage of affordable housing, lingering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse—remain.

In addition to veteran homelessness, 22 veterans take their own lives every day. Reasons for this could be the difficulties of readjusting to civilian life, lack of civilian work experience and combat injuries. There’s also the added pressure that 90% of military spouses are underemployed and earn 38% less than their civilian counterparts while also being 30% more likely to be unemployed.

Poorly performing VA hospitals, homeless veterans on the streets and veterans who do not want to live—how did we let this happen to the heroes who keep us the freest country [in the world]? Most of our citizens join the military because of their pride for this country. No matter the generation or the war, America’s military has always been determined, tough and proud to do their duty. These fighters are sustained by not only the bonds shared within their units, but [by] the love and strength they draw from those at home—their families, spouses, children, parents and communities. It is time for our communities to step up and help veterans in need.

Besides celebrating our military with these special days in May, we must all do more than just wave the American flag or take the day off and watch the parade. We have to help and embrace our veterans so the transition from military life to civilian life is not as painful. If you own a business, you can make a real effort to hire veterans, [o]r, if you’re not an employer, you can still help by donating to Hire Heroes, a nonprofit dedicated to creating job opportunities for veterans and their spouses. Another great [way] to donate [is through the Welcome Back Veterans initiative], which was created to help returning veterans. One of my personal favorites is Soldiers’ Angels, and you can donate directly on their site.

In 1945, we had 12 million active military personnel, and today, we have 1.4 million (not including active reservists). They are our friends, family and the bravest in our communities. These are men and women who sacrificed everything for us, [so] shouldn’t we do the same for them? If we take care of our service members today, it can only strengthen our military for tomorrow.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/death-of-honor_b_7073908.html

Shelters to Help Those in Need

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According to [the] Metro-wide Engagement for Shelter and Housing, […] it costs $32 [per day] for an adult and $125 [per day] for a minor to be in a shelter. On any given night, 600,000 Americans experience homelessness, of which 138,000 are children—[b]ut who ends up in these shelters?

Americans needing shelters have a long history. According to a history of homelessness, displacement […] has many causes: wars, medical problems, widowhood and racial inequities, to name a few. During the 1820s, people began migrating from farms to cities in search of jobs, [and because] so many could not find employment, they began walking the streets. This caused the country’s first panhandling ordinances, and city jails became de facto shelter systems. Poor safety regulations [in these jails] caused physical disabilit[ies] and, [frequently], death. The disabled and widows, many with dependent children, became the next wave of homeless. In the 1850s came the first documented cases of homeless youth, many of them kicked out of their homes because their parents could no longer afford to raise them.

The Civil War was the first war in which morphine was used, [a]nd, with that, opiate addiction came to the hundreds of thousands of war veterans. The Sears [& Roebuck] catalog sold morphine and heroin with syringes in its earlier days in the 1890s. The Civil War was the start of what is now known as post-traumatic stress disorder, [or PTSD].

Whereas all types of shelters are needed in our country, one of the newest [types] are [for victims of] domestic violence. […] According to Saint Martha’s Hall, [historically], British Common Law allowed a man to hit his wife with a stick no greater than the length from the last joint to the end of the thumb. In 1871, Alabama and Massachusetts became the first states to criminalize domestic violence, [b]ut it wasn’t until over a century later in 1973 that the Women’s Advocates opened the country’s first domestic violence shelter.

By 1983, there were 700 [domestic violence] shelters […] across the country, serving 91,000 women and 131,000 children. In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), [which] funds services for victims of domestic violence and rape [and] provides training to increase police and court officials’ sensitivity to domestic abuse. Between 1994 and 2000, $1.6 billion was spent to jumpstart VAWA. Its reauthorization in 2000 created a legal assistance program for victims and expanded the definition of crime to include dating violence and stalking. […]

Providing shelter for those in need cannot be solved by the government alone, especially in times of government gridlock and lack of funds. This is a major problem that affects all of us. Those that need help could be the war hero [who] dedicated [his or her] life to protecting our country or the woman down the street who was hurt by an abusive husband.

There are many ways we […] can help make a difference by donating to these shelters. Covenant House opens up its doors to help homeless youth. Stand up for Kids helps homeless street kids. Support Homeless Veterans works to get forgotten heroes off the street. Women’s Shelters connects [those in need to] over 2,300 women’s shelters. […]

It hurts everyone when our neighbors have to seek out shelters. Our society suffers when we deny children a good night’s sleep and a nourishing meal. Our communities suffer when a veteran loses out on the shot to attain the “American dream.” This is not a political or religious issue; it’s a moral issue that our society needs to embrace. With a little help from all of us, these 600,000 Americans can find shelter for another night.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/shelters-to-help-those-in-need_b_6662444.html